Category curriculum development
Teacher Appreciation Week: Top teaching assistants demonstrate teaching strategies
Teacher Appreciation Week reminds us to think about the many wonderful teachers we’ve had and how they have contributed to our academic and personal development. I’m also thinking of what it takes to be one of those memorable teachers. As a member of the University of Florida’s Graduate Student Teacher Awards Committee, I have the […]
‘Paper Tweet’ provides student questions and feedback
“How do I find out what questions students have about what we’re doing in class? In class, I ask for questions, but only a couple of students – and often the same students – ask questions. I don’t want to wait until the exam or project to find out that students didn’t understand something adequately.” […]
3 strategies to improve your teaching in the New Year
The time between semesters gives us as teachers the opportunity to evaluate how well we think our classes went last term and consider what changes we can make to improve our teaching for the upcoming term. Here are three strategies as you make adjustments to your classes as a new term begins. #1 – If […]
5 tips to avoid fake news
The class I was observing started with eight students sharing news stories they’d found that focused on legal issues related to the topics of the course. Each student briefly explained the legal issue — who was involved in the case and what the charges were. But only one said what the source of the news story […]
5 strategies for improving classroom observations
As a faculty member, adjunct or teaching assistant, your teaching is observed by dozens and even hundreds of students in every class you teach. Observations by other teachers does not happen very often. When you are observed by other teachers, those observations are very important. Here are some reasons you would be observed: You’re nominated for a […]
Teaching Strategies workshop for UF’s K-College CTSI Program
Creating an effective syllabus, incorporating active learning into teaching, and using informal teaching evaluations were topics of the workshop I led with faculty, post-docs and doctoral students attending the CTSI KL2 session on “Strategies for Improving College Teaching” in the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at the University of Florida. A theme throughout the workshop was […]
10 strategies for active learning in college classrooms
“I want to get my students more engaged and less passive in class, but I’m not sure how to do that in a way that is productive.” That’s a teaching issue I hear from faculty and teaching assistants who want to incorporate more active learning in their class sessions but aren’t sure about best practices […]
Live tweeting activity in class provides good learning experience — and leads to #JOU3109 trending on Twitter
For about 30 minutes on Thursday afternoon, my Multimedia Writing class was trending in the United States on Twitter. #JOU3109 was Number 3 in the list of 10 trending topics in the U.S., behind #FunnyPetCards and #SleepWeek and ahead of Mardi Gras and Pokemon – and hundreds of other topics being tweeted at that time. […]
Cedar Waxwing murmuration promotes thoughts on teaching
I could hear them. That high-pitched whistle. Then I could see them at the top of the tree near where I had parked my car. Cedar Waxwings. I’m a bird enthusiast and the Cedar Waxwings are one of my favorites. My first “research” paper was on the Cedar Waxwings – a report for second grade, […]
Posting course syllabi online before start of semester helps students make informed decisions
An important part of preparing for each semester is the course syllabus. That’s true for faculty, students and their parents. Students (and often their parents) use course syllabi to make decisions about selecting classes and instructors. Students count on the syllabi to be an accurate reflection of the course — from what textbooks are required […]
Julie Dodd 